


All Roads Lead to Rome

by caliwriter



Category: The 100 (TV), clexa - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:32:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caliwriter/pseuds/caliwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke takes a vacation from her semester abroad and meets someone who takes her breath away.</p><p>Please leave comments :) this was my first jab at writing something for other people to see. I would love to improve my writing through this!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Strangers in the Night

**Clarke Arrives ******

Clarke steps off the plane, dressed in a black leather jacket, black leggings, and black boots, and with her backpack in tow. From the first step into the busy terminal at Fiumicino Airport, she already loves Italy. She is bursting with excitement to explore the ancient city. She slides herself into the first cab she sees and hands the driver a piece of paper with the address of her hostel.  
Without knowing any Italian other than cappuccino, pizza, and ciao, she tried to make conversation with the taxi driver. “Ciao, uh um, alright I don’t speak any Italian. Do you know any English?”

Without a slight smile on his face and a thick Italian accent “Yes dear, almost every Italian in Roma speaks some English.”  
“Oh thank god” relived, Clarke was thankful a language barrier wasn’t going to be a huge problem.  
“But some Italians will be annoyed even if you don’t try to speak Italian. Those people are mostly older. The young Italians will love that you speak English and will want to practice with you.” Clarke carries on the conversation mostly asking about the do’s and don’ts of Rome. She asks the driver a few more Italian words she should know and where to find good bars (as in ones to drink. It Italy, bars are like American cafes). She looks at herself in the rearview mirror of the cab and the toll of traveling all morning is evident. She fixes her long curly blonde hair that was going in every direction the best that she could with her fingers and straightens the plain black tee she is wearing under her leather jacket. 

After 40 minutes, the cab pulls up in front of her hostel, she pays the driver and gives him a nice tip even though she knows tipping in Italy is not customary but he really helped her out on her itinerary and she picked up a lot of Italian phrases. Clarke quickly checks in, puts her stuff in her assigned locker, washes her face, puts some simple makeup on, grabs a map from the front desk, and hits the street. It was only seven in the afternoon and Clarke is ready to explore. She studies the map and where she is and she heads for Trastevere. She did some research before she arrived in Rome and she knew that’s where a lot of the American study abroad students would go to dinner and to drink. She was hoping to make some friends to help her figure out the best way to see Rome. Clarke has a basic plan, but she wants intake from those who have been here for a while.  


**A Normal Night Out ******

Lexa is getting ready in her tiny hotel room for a night out. Down the step into her room, there are three twin beds on the tile floor. The walls are painted a plain white. On the right wall, there’s a dark brown floor to ceiling dresser with suitcases wedged on the small space on top. Then on the other side of the room, there are shutters that open out to let fresh air in through the screen less window along with three little brown desks against the wall. In the corner was the door that leads to the bathroom. It has enough space for one person to stand in the shower then from the shower you could reach the toilet without stepping out. Next to the toilet on one side was another screen less window with shutters that opened out and on the other side was a bidet then the white sink, littered with makeup containers, and with a small mirror above it. 

Even though she was studying abroad for 90 days, her school has the program set up so that everyone stayed in a really nice hotel and had their own school building and library a half mile away. Lexa shared the room with her two roommates, Anya and Indra, and they were all trying to get some time in front of the only mirror in the room. So far her roommate, Anya was winning. Annoyed, Lexa settled for some basic makeup that complimented her green eyes and styled her hair straight. Lexa dug through her limited wardrobe to find something cute to wear that she hadn’t already worn two or three times. She beginning to get frustrated with how little clothes she had. Each student was allowed to bring one large suitcase because of the airline restrictions and she was not going to pay more for a second one. Lexa, annoyed and tired of wearing leggings and an uncomfortable top opted for a cute comfortable long sleeved black dress that showed off her toned legs and strong shoulders with some black wedges, all the girls knew better to wear heels in this cobble stoned city. She finished her look with a simple silver necklace and some diamond stud earrings. 

After Lexa was done, she lit one of the candles next to her bed and sat on her bed sipping some wine, pulled out one of her Italian novels, and waited patiently for her roommates. Normally Lexa was right in the mix of getting ready with her roommates but tonight, she just was not into it. If she had it her way, she’d stay in bed all night reading but since she was in Rome for only a few months, she promised herself she would go out every weekend.  
The triple’s first stop for the night was The Abby. It was a cute, quiet little Irish pub not to far from their hotel. The pub was filled with a slightly older crowd. It was much quieter than its sibling pub, Scholar’s, which was home for many study abroad students on this side of the Tiber. While at The Abby, they grabbed a table in the corner, ordered some burgers and fries (typical Americans), and washed their food down with some Magner’s Irish Cider. They split a dessert and had a Guinness to finish their meal off. They paid their bill, said bye to the bartender who became their friend after 4 consecutive weekends at the pub. The three, feeling extra confident from the beer, began their 15 minute walk to Trastevere to meet up with some friends that went to John Cabot.  


**Across the River**  


When Lexa and her friends finally arrive in Trastevere, it was already nearing 11 o’clock. Still early in the Italian night scene, so they hit one of the many bars for some light drinks. Lexa ordered something fruity in an almost perfect Italian accent. Her goal for the semester was to pick up as much Italian as she could. She was so fascinated by everything Italian. Meanwhile, her roommates had her order something similar for them. They were envious that Lexa was able to pick up Italian so quickly. The three stunning ladies moved out in the cobblestone street to chat and wait for the rest of their friends from John Cabot University join them.  
They stood out in the street chatting with each when some of their friends find them. The first to arrive is Bellamy, Octavia, Raven, and someone Lexa didn’t recognize. With the bright look on her face and her blonde hair a mess, it looked like she just arrived in Rome. Bellamy and Octavia were siblings and as of right now Bellamy was dating Raven. Their relationship was complicated so it usually shifted on the daily.

In a friendly and excited tone, Bellamy says “Hey guys, you ready to run the town?”

Anya responded in her flirty voice “Of course we are! We’re always chasing fun.” With her model body, sharp features, and sparkling personality, Anya was one of the main reasons Bellamy and Raven’s relationship was on the rocks. 

Indra, the third roommate, “Who’s your new friend?”

“Oh yeah, this is Clarke Griffin. She's studying abroad in Ireland!” Octavia excitedly responded.

“Nice to meet you all” Clarke responded with in a friendly tone and a confident smile.

“Likewise, I’m Lexa Woods.”

“I’m Anya.”

“And I’m Indra.”

Clarke reached out to shake everyone’s hands. But when she was shaking Lexa’s soft but strong hand, it felt different. She didn’t want to let go. After letting Lexa’s hand go, Clarke was fuzzy headed and excused herself to get a drink. While she was standing at the bar, Clarke was trying to figure out why she was so blown away by this beautiful stranger and why shaking her hand felt so familiar. The bartender brought her Peroni over and Clarke walked back to rejoin her new friends in the street. 

“Are you really drinking that?” Octavia asked Clarke with a disgusted look on her face.

“Yeah, I like to drink local brews when I can. Especially when I’m in a new place.” Clarke defended her drink choice.

“Fair enough but that stuff is disgusting.” Octavia responded as she took a sip of her gin and tonic. 

Curious to the new stranger and the weird feeling she had when she shook her hand, Lexa asked “So Clarke Griffin, how long are you in Rome for?” 

“I’m here for a week. I’m studying abroad in Ireland right now. The classes are so easy at the University I’m at that I figured I could miss a few days of classes here and there and I wouldn’t miss anything too terribly important.” Clarke said trying to get Lexa to continue the conversation. 

“That’s pretty cool. Our classes here are pretty difficult. The material itself isn’t hard but the exams require us to know almost all the small details.” Lexa continued and took a big sip of her fruity drink that was nearing empty. 

“Yeah that sucks for you guys, John Cabot classes are pretty easy. We go out all the time and our grades are fine” Raven chimed in.

Anya, trying to get a rise out of Raven, quickly responded, “That’s because your professors don’t expect much out of you guys. We have the same professors and they push us harder than you.”

Sensing Anya’s intentions, Lexa quickly intercepted the conversation and steered it away from anything that could result in a catfight, “So Clarke, what’s your itinerary for tomorrow?”

“Well I’m not exactly sure yet. I figured I’d start with the Colosseum in the morning, maybe get lunch someplace close, then walk to the Trevi fountain and stop along the way to see some churches or what ever else I might pass.”

‘That sounds like a good plan. But I think you should do this instead. You’ll get to see more in less time. I would start with a tour at the Colosseum, take a quick 2 minute walk to the Arc di Costantino, then do the tour at the Roman Forum, then depending how tired you are, I suggest walking to Circus Maximus, then work your way back towards Trevi Fountain. You’ll be able to see Trajan’s Forum and Trajan’s Column as well.” 

“Damn Lexa are you trying to make Clarke’s legs fall off? That’s a hell of a lot of walking. I think you should just do the the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and what ever is in that area.” There’s a lot to see in Rome but there no sense in walking back and fourth through the city in such a short amount of time.” Octavia gave her opinion. 

“Well it’s just what I would do” Lexa said trying to not to sound offended from Octavia’s suggestion. 

“I love both suggestions and I will take both into consideration when I wake up in the morning and look at my map and how I feel after seeing the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.” Clarke said trying to please both of her new friends. 

“How about another round of drinks? It’s on me” Bellamy asked trying to impress his girlfriend and Anya at the same time. Everyone said yes and Bellamy and Octavia left the group to go get them. Anya and Indra started talking to each other and Clarke, Lexa, and Raven started their own conversation.

“So Clarke, how do you like Rome so far?” Anya asked trying to make small talk with the pretty girl. Anya didn’t have a preference of gender but she was always interested in a pretty face. 

“It’s been great so far! The architecture is incredible.” Clarke said pretending to be interested but she was trying to make it not obvious that she was more interested in Lexa who was being a child and playing with the ice in her cup. “I’ve already wandered into a few churches to look at the paintings. The detail is amazing.”

“So you must be really into art then?” Anya asked sensing she was loosing Clarke’s interest. Jealousy was already filling her body. Every time she went out with Lexa, who ever she was trying to pick up was always more into Lexa and she could not figure out why. Sure Lexa was pretty with her green eyes and wavy brown hair. Yes, Lexa was confident and radiated intelligence but Anya was pretty similar except taller. But trying to flirt with Clarke wasn’t working at all. The way Clarke looked at Lexa said everything Anya needed to know and it was strange. Both Clarke and Lexa looked at each other like they’ve met before. 

Bellamy and Octavia returned with the drinks and everyone was glad. It was starting to get crowded and it felt like more people than usual were out. The street was packed with drunk young adults. After a few more rounds, Clarke was feeling brave and was really enjoying everything Lexa had to say. She was so confident and intelligent. Clarke thought it was hot how Lexa tried to throw in some Italian words and phrases whenever she could. “Hey Lexa, do you want to join me tomorrow? You seem to know a lot about the history and I love for you to explain the history to me. I think you would be an amazing guide.”  
Taken back by Clarke’s question and trying to decipher if Clarke has other intentions than just being friends. “Um yeah, I have class till 11 but I would love to show you around.” Lexa couldn’t tell if Clarke was into her. She thought Clarke was sneaking looks at the cute boy standing behind her. 

Clarke’s face lit up when Lexa agreed to be her guide. A little too excited, “Awesome, I don’t have cell service but if you mark on my map the best place to meet you I can meet you there after your class.” Clarke fumbled around her little purse for a pen and handed it to Lexa so she could mark a meeting spot. While Lexa was marking the map, Clarke couldn’t help but notice how delicate Lexa’s hand looked but with the pen in between her fingers, it looked like it was strong as well.

“I put a circle around this place called Pascucci. It’s right below our school building and it’s pretty close to everything.” Lexa explained while handing the map back to Clarke. “I would skip class to hang out with you but we have an exam coming up and I  
want to make sure I don’t miss anything important.”

Clarke folded the map and put it in her pocket. “Don’t be sorry. Your education is important. I think I can manage without you for a few hours.” Clarke assured Lexa with a big smile. 

Lexa smiled back and decided she just was pretty tired and that she was going to need some sleep if she was to play tour guide in the morning after there class. “I think I’m going to head back. I need some good sleep before our adventure tomorrow.”

“That’s a good idea. I’m exhausted from the day” Clarke agreed. The pair said their goodbyes to everyone. “Hey Lexa, which way is your place? Mine’s on the other side of the river and I wanted to make sure you got home safe.”

Now Lexa knew exactly what Clarke was feeling towards her. She had no reason to be jealous of the boy behind her. “Clarke are you trying to ask me if you could walk me home?” Clarke immediately blushed and fumbled to find the words to deny Lexa’s question. With a slight smile, “Because I would love it if you could walk me home. I don’t mind going by myself but it’s always nice to have company.”

Clarke’s expression said everything without the words stuck in her throat. She followed Lexa and when they broke through the crowd on the main street, Clarke walked next to Lexa. To Clarke’s surprise, Lexa linked her arm around Clarke’s. To both of them, it felt natural. Their arms were meant to be linked. Clarke moved a little closer towards Lexa and then she realized how buzzed she was from the alcohol. “So Lexa, tell me a little more about yourself.”

Lexa let out a soft laugh and slighted her arm that was around Clarke’s. “I hate that question, but the basics about me are that I love history, I’m really into coordinating people so I think I want to be a museum director or something like that. Leading people just comes so easy. I have a younger brother, Aden, I adore him. One of my favorite things to read and relax at home. But enough  
about me, tell me about you Clarke.”

The way Lexa said her name had Clarke weak at the knees, “Well I’m an artist. I will sketch all day if I had the chance. I don’t have any siblings. My mom is a doctor and I think I want to combine my love of art with medicine as an art therapist. I’ve always loved helping people. There’s just something about making someone’s day a little better that makes me so happy.”

“That’s very admirable, Clarke. From what I know of you, I think you would be a great therapist.” Lexa said while trying not to sneak a peak at Clarke.

Clarke blushed and turned to look at Lexa but all she saw was her expressionless face. Her silhouette had Clarke thirsty. “So, um Lexa, do you have a boyfriend?” Clarke asked hoping the nervousness couldn’t be noticed in her voice or that her face was red.

The blood drained from Lexa’s face. she just broken up with Costia and she wasn’t ready to let people know yet. The distance was too much for them and she had this feeling that Costia wasn’t being faithful while she was abroad in Spain. And most importantly, she wasn’t sure how this stranger was going to react to her being gay.”I’m not really dating anyone right now. I’m focusing on school and fencing. Oh yeah, I fence for my college back home. I’m taking the semester off because I needed a break.”  

Clarke was ecstatic, she could not tell if the beautiful stranger was gay but knowing that Lexa was single, she felt like she had a better chance. The pair eventually made it to Lexa’s hotel and hugged goodbye after chatting the whole walk. Clarke walked the whole back to her hostel with a huge smile on her face. She could just feel that this was just the start of something amazing.


	2. Come Fly With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I will be making the chapters shorter so I can give you guys more material to read more often! Please leave comments :) I want to improve!

**Bright and Early**

Clarke jumps out of bed thinking she overslept and is late to meet Lexa for their adventure. Her eyes barely being able to read her watch in the dark, it was no later than 5 AM. Clarke rolls her eyes and grumbles rolling back into bed for a few more hours of sleep. She pulls the blanket up and over her shoulder and shuts her eyes. Clarke thought “Well, I’ve never been so excited to hang out with a nerd. I mean she's really cute but girls who are book smart like Lexa is about History and Italian culture are not the girls that tend to like me back. I haven’t had a connection like this since Finn…” Clarke let out a soft laugh and smiled “Damn, I can’t believe I dated that boy. He was nice enough but damn. He was trouble. Lexa is just so pure. I’m happy we are both so comfortable talking about intimate things. It feels strangely familiar.” Clarke drifts off to sleep but not without thinking, “I can’t wait to see her again.”

Clarke sleeps for a few more hours but she wakes up too early again. She rolls out of her bed and decides that she might as well get ready for the day. Tip-toeing around the room, being careful not to wake the stranger she was sharing the room with, Clarke makes it to her locker without a peep. Clarke wants to impress Lexa. Since Clarke is only going to be in Italy for a week, her wardrobe is minimal. She decides on a plain black V-neck tee shirt, black leggings, a gray scarf, and of course, her favorite black leather jacket. Clarke is the type of girl that throws on some eyeliner and mascara then calls it a day but since she is spending the day with Lexa, Clarke spends a good half hour on her makeup instead of the usual 90 seconds. When she is happy with the way she looks, Clarke left the hostel and starts walking towards Lexa’s place. 

The air is crisp and there is a layer of fog drifting through the ancient buildings. Clarke looks down at her watch and figures she has some time to kill. She pulls her folded up map out of her pocket and tries to find someplace to get some food and coffee before meeting Lexa. Frustrated by not being able to find anything on the map that was close by, Clarke concluded her map is outdated and she is bound to stumble upon a cafe. Clarke is right, she walks another 5 minutes when she spots the cutest cafe. It is a cute two story building with walls painted like the orange streak in the sky on a summer sunset, vines growing along the facade just barely going past the top of the door. Clarks pushes open the glass door to the sweet smell of fresh bread. After her eyes adjust, Clarke falls more in love with the cafe. The inside is lined with redbrick walls and the floor has beautiful white sand colored tile. To the right is a long glass covered counter with the most delicious looking pastries Clarke had ever seen. With her eyes still bulging out of her sockets, a tall handsome but scruffy man walks out from the kitchen, “Boungiorno bella, come posse aiutarti?” Stunned on how to respond, Clarke, with her jaw hanging, manages to project some awful sounds. The baker laughs and asks in a thick Italian accent “Good morning, how can I help you?” Clarke almost cries she is so happy that the baker speaks English. She knew her basic order in Italian but with the large selection, she wants to know more about all the different things she could have. Clarke takes a deep breath and starts spitting out questions about all the different bread and pastries. The baker is taken back but he can handle all of Clarke’s questions. 

**Well Shit**

Lexa wakes to her roommates getting ready for class. The moment she hears them, she jumps out of bed. She’s late! Lexa is always the first one awake because it takes her forever to style her hair the way she likes it. Her hair is naturally very curly but she prefers to style it straight or she runs a flat iron through her hair to control how her curls look. Today, since Lexa is running late, she settles for a quick curl on her hair. While Anya helps her with her hair, she knows Lexa is going to have a fit if she’s late to class, Lexa does her makeup more simple than usual but enough that it still highlights all her features like her bright green eyes and her killer jawline, which she is very proud of. “Thanks, Anya, I really appreciate you helping me.” 

“No problem, Lex! I know how stressed you get and I know you have a date with Clarke today” Anya replied with a wink. Lexa's cheeks turned a deep red. “Oh relax Lex, you two were hitting it off so well last night. I’d be really surprised if today doesn’t go well.” Lexa’s heart slows down and her face starts to turn back to her normal color. 

“That’s good to hear. I’m so nervous! There’s just something about Clarke. I can’t really explain it… ” Lexa admits with a frustrated tone. Lexa attempts to shake off the nervous thoughts. “Either way, today is going to be fun! It’s a beautiful day outside and Clarke is a beautiful person.” Lexa grabs her backpack and rushes out the door for class. She wants to see Clarke again. 

**A Sight for Sore Eyes**

It was about 15 minutes after the time Lexa told Clarke she is going to meet her and Lexa starts losing it. Lexa’s class had run over and she was the first one out at the door which is unusual for her. She usually has a dozen questions to ask the professor after class. Thankfully the cafe is close to her school building. She walks with such confidence and urgency that people are moving off the tiny sidewalk onto the street to let her pass. Lexa stops in front of the cafe and looks though the glass. Lexa looses her breath. Clarke is beautiful with the sun bouncing off her blonde hair and her smile reaching her eyes. Lexa stands there admiring her beauty. She finally decides to go inside when a stranger bumps into her. Shyly, Lexa mutters “Hey Clarke.” Clarke looks up from her coffee and her eyes give everything away. Lexa instantly feels better about meeting Clarke, she seems so happy that she is here. 

“Hey Lexa! I was getting worried you weren’t going to show up even though it’s only been fifteen minutes. Please sit down, I’m almost done with my coffee, can I get you anything?” Clarke excitedly tells Lexa.

 Lexa takes the seat across from Clarke, “Actually yeah, I’m starving. I was in a rush this morning and I didn’t get a chance to eat.” 

Clarke smiles, “Order anything you want, it’s the least I can do for showing me around. I’m so excited that I’m getting my own tour around Rome with a beautiful girl!” 

Lexa turns a bright red, “Thanks, Clarke, I think I’ll just get a chicken sandwich and some wa-“ Clarke is out of her seat before Lexa finishes her order. She watches Clarke order at the counter and her thoughts start drifting. Lexa stares at Clarke’s hands and wonders what they feel like in her hands. They look a little smaller than hers and they look like they would always be warm which would be perfect because Lexa’s hands are always a tad too cold for comfort. She hates it so much that she made a habit of always carrying gloves with her. Lexa shakes her head before her thoughts wander anymore. Clarke comes back with Lexa’s order and dessert for the both of them. “Thank you again, Clarke, this is so nice of you. You really didn’t have to do this.”

“No problem Lexa! It’s the least I can do” Clarke reassures Lexa, “anyways you”re probably saving me some money too now that I don't have to pay for a formal tour.” Lexa mutters something with her mouth full. Clarke lets out a soft laugh and a big smile, “Don’t rush Lexa, we have plenty of time. Plus I’m enjoying just spending time with you.”

Lexa washes down the last mouthful her sandwich with a big gulp of water. “I enjoy spending time with you to Clarke but I’m actually really excited to see the monuments! It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone new to show around and all my friends have heard my tour a thousand times.” Lexa and Clarke quickly finish their small dessert, “Let’s go!”


End file.
